Is It a Mortal Sin to Ditch Drop Bars for Upright Bars?
 

Title says it all. I did put Nitto touring bars on my 1988 Trek 400.
At 71 years, I'm not into aerodynamics of drop bars.
I just hope I'm not committing some sort of bicycle etiquette felony.

If it means you'll ride the bike more, it's a positive change.

I may cringe uncontrollably, but I ain’t gonna do anything about it and neither is anyone else, so you do what makes you comfortable.

At 71 you don't have to answer to anybody. If you peruse this site you'll find plenty of examples of vintage bikes retrofitted with upright bars.

No sir, no one here will give you anything but a thumbs up on your posts with pix of your upright bars.

Nah, say a few Hail Tullios and all will be forgiven.

I put upright bars on a 1967 Paramount and turned it into a commuter. I haven't been struck by lightening and I'm only 64, so you should be safe.

It's your bike to do what you wish with. And if you wish to keep riding it and this helps so be it. I'm 57 and I'm on the tops and hoods most often. If and when the time comes, I'll probably drop the drop bars for something else. But I'll save the bars for if heaven forbid I have to sell the bike I can give the originals to the new owner.

Larry,
I recently did just that.
My Townie.urban rider.
Inspired by @52telecaster and his hybrid gearing, I built up this Raleigh International frame as such.
Early on, years ago, I searched for about 18 months before I found a Raleigh International, I was so excited I failed to realize it had a replacement fork.

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Oh well, it works.
Shakedown ride this am was FUN!
I changed rear cog from 18T to 21T. I may revert back to the 18T or find some middle ground.
It's incredibly flat here.
Fenders, rear rack, saddle bag or rear rack bag is next.
See this thread for some inspiration.
Show us your drop to upright bar conversions

Try it.
You might not like it anyway.
But you won't know till you do.
I would start with cheap bars and check the fit before going any further.
Or just get a cheap hybrid.
See if you like it.
​​​​Keep riding.

I'm only 33 and can still ride in the drops for miles on end without issue, but I also have a frame or two that I'm considering converting to upright bars simply because I like to see the world a bit better as I ride along!

-Gregory

In my 70s the bars are going up on the Japanese bikes with Technomic long quills, customs are getting different sharper angled stems but I can not do it to the Italians. Also saddles are changing for the more upright position. Arthritis in my thumbs has me looking at touring bars. All to good result.

All these say No! So ride on. Don
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we'll be back in the drops, in Heaven

I use drop bars and trekking bars solely for additional hand positions. On drops, I go from next to the stem to the lever hoods, so its not like I am using the drop section. I've never been very flexible.

Whatever works the best for YOU is the right choice. Mortal sins to me on vintage bikes are irreversible changes like grinding off braze ons, and repainting (when the surviving paint is quite serviceable).

The only real sin I can think of is describing your bike and not including a picture. We love drive side pics.

As of now- I'm rarely in the drops, really the only time I've ever been in the drops is either going into the wind or when I know I'll need the leverage on brake levers.

I'm perfectly happy on the hoods, ramps, corners and tops of drop bars.

10 years ago I got my left hand crushed and have nerve damage in that hand- in addition to all the other injuries and broken **** on me that's accumulated over the past 50 years... I realize I'm not the spry, youthful killing machine I used to be. Seeing and looking at pix of old people enjoying riding their bikes, I know "upright" bars of some sort are in my future- don't know how far off- but it's coming. Several years back I acquired a few sets of quality ATB brake levers for exactly that eventuality.

You must go to confession and receive ablution, or, you will burn in hell. Or, you could consider this post your confession, and the members ok your ablution. I, for one, give you a big OK and grant you atonement. I have 2 bikes I have switched: Fuji Ace with a mustache bar, bar ends; Schwinn SS DBX with Velo-Orange Porteur bar, but still with 9 speed brifters. I like the Porteur bars with the brifters a lot more. It gives me many hand positions with not much movement. Also. the brifters keep the shifting a braking in a very convenient location, again, minimum movement.

I rarely use the drops of my handlebars but I like the different hand positions drop bars provide. I also became accustomed to the narrow width of drop bars when I was a bike messenger weaving thru inner-city traffic

Hey Andy, that's well said, and thank you.
This old Trek is very comfortable with the touring bars now, and I do ride it more, just as you said.
It was actually kinda shocking to discover just how comfortable it became.

I like drop bars but now I like them at the same height as my saddle. The position you get on the tops and brake levers is not all that different from flat bars.

I like old MTBs to experiment with flat bars. I find trekking bars to be more comfortable for long rides than most flat bars as you get a lot of hand positions not unlike with drops.

What are "Trekking" bars ?

I used them on my '92 Trek 950:

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Meh. I've been relatively upright for nearly 30yrs, after long since ditching the drop-bar "10 speed" type bike in the mid-1980s.

All depends on what your own personal preference is, of course, but for me I've enjoyed biking much more since then. My latest bike is a 1996 Trek 970 that's been massaged into an upright city bike. Great wheelset, upright-type Brooks sprung saddle, swept riser stem+bars. Works for me, even if the original thought for the Trek 970 was something else entirely.

Can't imagine who'd grouse, out there; can't imagine why it'd matter one bit. Not if it keeps you biking, happy and comfortable doing it.

Those are fairly similar to butterfly bars on the Schwinn Crosscut.

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No mortal harm will come to you as long as you keep the original bars somewhere. Someone, someday will thank you and think kindly of you. Have fun!

You bike, your choice is my philosophy. I have a Nishiki Mixte with drop bars that will be getting something else. Probably some sort of porteur bars and bar-cons or thumb shifters. To my eye, mixtes with drop bars look weird.